Brave
by Kaze no Tsurugi
Summary: The silence is approaching and Michiru must find the Messiah, but she can't do it alone. Sequel to Stargazer: Echo.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I'd like to thank Trixxie for allowing me to quote her and I'd like to thank Vanessa Riverton, whose birthday is today, for her beta smexx. Happy birthday, f00!  
_

_

* * *

_

Yamada Motors had just unlocked its doors when Haruka drove into the lot. Her blue Miata purred deeply as the engine idled momentarily. The sound was that of a lion, the king of the beasts, and appropriately so as Haruka was indeed the king of the beasts of steel that sped through Tsukuba Circuit every week. Not only was she the youngest racecar driver, but she was the racer who broke the lap time records, placing her at the number one position among all the racers in Tsukuba. It was one step closer to fulfilling her dream of becoming a professional Formula 1 racecar driver.

Haruka cut off her engine and stepped out of her car. The chill in the air caused Haruka to quickly make her way inside the installment. She was right about taking her car instead of her motorcycle today, but she was wrong about not wearing her jacket. The weather was quickly changing from fall temperatures to winter. Soon she'd be scraping frost off her windshield, a task she wasn't looking very forward to because it took up extra time in the morning, which meant she would have to wake up earlier, which also meant she'd lose precious minutes of sleep. It was already bad enough that she had to get up at 4:00 in the morning because she promised to go running with Hanako—the things she does for her best friend. Fortunately they decided not to run today since they had run in the Osaka Marathon over the weekend. There was always the option to go to bed earlier, but that wasn't going to happen.

Kameda held the door open for her. "Good morning, Haruka."

"Morning, Kameda."

"How was Osaka?"

"It was good. I won the marathon."

"Congratulations! I knew you would. I expected nothing less."

"How's Shizuma? Did she miss me?"

Kameda laughed. "She's been waiting for you. Come on."

Haruka walked with Kameda through the facility to the Yamada Racing Team department. The building was still mostly empty except for a few other employees. They arrived at a gray door that had the characteristic stencilled red letters that said AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY and a keypad beside the doorknob. Kameda tapped the combination into the keypad and a small click sounded, indicating that the door was unlocked.

"After you," Kameda said.

Haruka opened the door and walked in. The metal halide lamps hanging from the ceiling were still warming up to their full capacity, but there was enough light to illuminate the vast warehouse that served as the YRT's headquarters. Her eyes lit up as she saw the silver beauty standing in the middle of the room.

"Shizuma!" she cried gleefully and ran down the metal grated stairs, the clanking sound echoing off the walls.

"I take it that means you like what I've done to her," Kameda said taking his time down the steps and stopping at the bottom of the first flight.

"Like it? I love it!" Haruka stepped around her silver Skyline, examining all the new modifications that Kameda made while she was away. Her grinning face reflected off the Skyline's glossy paint. "If you were a woman, I'd ask you to marry me."

"Are you talking to me or your car?"

Haruka thought about it for a moment. "I was talking to you, but now that you mention it, I'd choose Shizuma over you. She's a lot sexier."

"Hey!"

Haruka laughed and said, "Well if it makes you feel any better, Shizuma wouldn't be the supermodel she is without you."

Kameda shook his head. "I'm just doing my job."

Kameda Yamada was the son of Eiji Yamada and heir to the Yamada Motors company. Currently he was the shop manager and head mechanic for the YRT. He was the only mechanic Haruka trusted and he was the best in Haruka's opinion, but Kameda would never accept such high praise. His humility was just another trait that proved him a person of integrity. Additionally, where Hanako was like a sister to Haruka, Kameda was like a brother.

"Well, she's ready when you are. I gotta go open up the rest of the shop," Kameda said and walked back up the stairs to the door.

"Thanks, Kameda. I'll definitely take her out for a ride after I check my email. I'm sure there's a lot I have to catch up on."

After a few more moments of admiring her car, Haruka climbed back up the stairs to the upper level area that overlooked the warehouse floor. Supposedly, this area was the racing team's office, but it served more as a lounge area. There were couches around a coffee table littered with motor sports magazines (and occasionally bottles and cans of Asahi and Sapporo), a floor stereo system, a pool table, and a broad filing cabinet that flanked a long table which served as a desk for the three computers that the team shared.

Haruka turned on all three computers and sat at the one near the edge so she could still adore her car. Logging in took a minute or two, then Haruka navigated to her inbox. There were several of the usual solicitations from sponsors, staff emails, and a few other emails that were actually worth reading, but they were all lost to the prominence of one email that struck her paralyzed. She stared at it incredulously, reading the name of the sender over and over, letter by letter, to make sure she wasn't misreading it. She even shut her eyes and opened them to see if the name was still there, and it was:

Michiru Kaioh.

It was as real as the pulse she felt growing increasingly rapid through her temples, the very beat of her heart sounding clear as day. Haruka began to shiver despite the sweat breaking out on her brow. The last time she talked to Michiru was four years ago. At that time, all her contact information was different from now, so Michiru must've had to do some sort of research to find a way to contact her. Haruka realized that was inarguably easy enough to find considering her rising popularity, but she had to wonder why Michiru would try to get in touch with her now. Two possibilities came to mind. Either Michiru found out that Haruka had broken up with April or Michiru still thought they were together and didn't care. But that would imply a notion that Haruka dared not entertain. It was too late though. Trying to ignore the idea alone was acknowledging its existence. Haruka wouldn't get her hopes up though. A lot of thoughts cross her mind that don't amount to anything and there was no guarantee that this would be an exception. At least Haruka was certain of one thing - Michiru hadn't forgotten her.

The paralysis finally wore off and Haruka opened the email.

* * *

Swimming was more than a favorite activity for Michiru. It was her favorite way to relax. The weightless sensation while floating on the water was the closest she could get to not feeling the burden placed on her shoulders by her duty as a senshi. Every morning she started her day at the indoor pool on the top level of her apartment building. Nobody ever used the pool at that time, so she enjoyed the luxury all to herself. The best part of it though was the view of the sky through the glass ceiling above.

Michiru was floating on her back, watching the last remaining stars slowly disappear from the sky as daylight crept in. Usually this was the time she'd arrive at the pool to begin her daily swim, but she had started her routine earlier because her anxiety made her restless. After she had sent the email to Haruka last night, she decided to think nothing more of it and not to expect anything to happen, but she found herself constantly waking up throughout the night with the urge to check her email. She refrained from doing so simply because she doubted there would be a new message waiting for her. It was unlikely that anyone else was awake at the ungodly hour of 4:00 in the morning, or maybe Michiru was just afraid of what she might or might not find. She was starting to regret sending a message to Haruka, but there was nothing she could do now. She didn't know which was better, receiving a reply or not. It might be easier to forget the whole thing if Haruka didn't reply, but how humiliating Michiru would feel after putting herself out there. But Michiru didn't exactly think about what could happen if Haruka did reply. She supposed it all depended on what Haruka said if she were so inclined to correspond with Michiru.

Taking a deep breath, she allowed the water to wash over her body as she sank beneath the surface. Once her feet touched the bottom, Michiru pushed off from the floor and swam towards the ladder at the end of the pool. Water dripped from her slender figure as she climbed out and even more splattered onto the tile floor when she wrung her hair. She retrieved her towel from one of the benches scattered around the perimeter and wrapped it around her body before settling into a lounger. It was still too early to go back to her apartment and get ready for rehearsals, and she was still trying to avoid her laptop, so she closed her eyes and let her mind drift a while.

Her thoughts went back to the visions she'd been having in her sleep and how they had changed since she first started having them. Originally, she stood alone in these visions, dressed in her senshi fuku, helplessly watching the destruction of the world by an unseen force under a dark crimson sky. Now there was another in the dream, a tall woman with long hair who donned a similar senshi fuku and carried a long staff in her hands. She appeared behind Michiru in a blinding white light that cast her in shadow, making it impossible for Michiru to see her face, but she could hear her voice clearly.

"You must find the Messiah."

"How?" Michiru called out to the dark figure. "How can I find the Messiah?"

"You cannot do it alone," said the woman and she held out her rod.

Suddenly strong gales of wind blew past, tossing debris all around the barren land on which Michiru stood. Michiru lifted her arms up to shield her face, but when she lowered them the mysterious woman was gone and she was alone again.

But she wasn't alone. The woman in her vision said she couldn't find the Messiah alone, so that only meant there had to be someone else who shared her mission. Someone else, another anonymous person for Michiru to search for. It could be anybody.

Michiru sighed in dismay and opened her eyes. The sun was now well above the horizon. Her eyes darted to the clock hanging on the wall and saw that hours had passed even though it only felt like a few minutes. It was now 8:00. She had just enough time to shower and get dressed and still be able to arrive on time for the concert rehearsal. And maybe check her email.

Michiru hurried back to her apartment and rushed to get ready, briefly pausing to open up her laptop and log in. She was in her closet in the midst of slipping on her dress when she heard the new message alert chiming from her laptop. Her stomach tightened. Quickly tying the bow of her blue dress, Michiru sat down at her desk. The email icon bounced eagerly, waiting to be opened, as if the suspense was too much for it to handle as well. Michiru clicked on it, then felt her heart sink to the floor. It was nothing more than an announcement for a sale on art supplies.

She should've known Haruka wouldn't reply to her message. She had no business talking to her anyway. Haruka had probably already long forgotten her and moved on with April. And even if Haruka hadn't forgotten her, she was sure she wouldn't talk to her. It would be wise not to. Michiru could still remember the nights when Haruka came crying to her because of April, but yet April was the one Haruka chose.

Michiru scolded herself for expecting too much and returned to her preparations without bothering to close her inbox. There was no more time to waste. With one final glance around her bedroom, Michiru went through her mental checklist to make sure she had everything: purse, violin, and score sheets. It wasn't until she reached the front door when she realized she didn't have her henshin stick. Slightly annoyed, she quickly walked back into her bedroom just as another chime rang from her laptop. Coincidentally, her henshin stick lay beside it. As Michiru reached to pick it up, she couldn't help but take a quick look at the screen. She nearly dropped everything she was holding to the floor when her eyes came upon the name of sender:

Haruka Tenoh.

For once, she was grateful for her henshin stick. Had it not been where it was, she wouldn't have seen Haruka's message. Of course, she would've seen it later in the day, but she would've kicked herself for not seeing it sooner. There was no way she was going to be able to concentrate at rehearsal now. One thing puzzled her, though. She could've sworn she placed her henshin stick in her nightstand drawer, where she kept it every night.

* * *

Kameda returned to the YRT headquarters and was surprised to find Haruka still there. He expected her to be testing out her beloved car on the racetrack, but instead she was sitting intently at the computer.

"Haruka, you're still here?"

Haruka spun around in the chair, a stunned expression on her face. "Kameda! You'll never believe what just happened!"

"What is it?" Kameda asked curiously.

"My ex emailed me!"

"That psycho bitch just won't leave you alone, huh."

Haruka shook her head. "No, no, not that one. The other one."

"Oh, really? She did you wrong, too, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but she never hurt me like April."

"From what you've told me about her, she doesn't sound like she would've," Kameda said while he pulled out the chair beside Haruka and sat down. "She may have kept things from you, but she wasn't manipulative and evil like April."

"That's for sure."

"Does she know you and April broke up?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is she wants to talk about, I hope to clear things up with her."

"You thinking of getting back together with her?"

"Nah, it'd probably be best to be just friends." Not that the thought hadn't crossed Haruka's mind, but she truly meant what she said. She didn't want to hurt Michiru again, nor could she stand the pain of losing Michiru once more.

Kameda rocked his chair forward and leaned closer. "What about Hikari? Are you going to tell her about this?"

"Yeah, there's no reason not to," Haruka stated matter-of-factly.

"Haruka, the girl is smitten with you." Kameda grasped his hands together and held them to his chest in a lovestruck, starry-eyed pose, then batted his eyes. "Oh, Haruka," he sighed, mocking a girl's high-pitched voice.

Haruka gave Kameda's chair a swift kick that nudged it enough to startle him.

"Whoa!" Kameda exclaimed, catching himself before the chair actually did tip over.

Haruka laughed lightly. "Hikari's a sweet girl, but I don't think it'd be a good idea to be anything more than friends with her, or with anyone actually. I have too much baggage."

"I can't blame you, but you know, that's why we're rebuilding you! How long has it been? Three months since you broke up with April?"

"Yeah."

"And it only took you all but two weeks to get over it! Look at you now! Top racer of Tsukuba Circuit! Marathon winner! You even look healthier and happier compared to when you first walked into this shop as a new-hire!"

Haruka nodded in agreement. "It feels good to have my life back. And I have you to thank. If you hadn't insisted that I enter the qualifiers match for that Time Attack, I'd probably still be a lowly new-hire and as miserable as ever."

Kameda clapped Haruka on the shoulder. "I knew you could beat all those other racers the moment I caught you sneaking in early to race around the track. The way you drove Shizuma, the control you exhibited at every turn, it was just mind-blowing! And just think, you would've never uncovered your potential if you didn't break up with April."

"Seriously. Breaking up with her was the only way I could do it. Or else she'd never let me race."

"She held you back from a lot of things."

"I know," Haruka scowled. "I just hate that it took me so long to do it."

"But you did it and it's done. You braved the unknown and took that leap."

Haruka scoffed. "I'm not brave."

"Hey, listen to me," Kameda said and his tone became solemn. At this point, Haruka knew she was in for something deep and profound. While everyone else assumed Kameda was just another motorhead, Haruka was one of the few who knew otherwise and she considered it an honour. "Bravery isn't something you can fake. It's not something that is easy to forge. Once you've done something that requires it, you instantly question if it was the right move, if there was another choice, if the consequences truly outweigh the reaction." He looked right into Haruka's eyes and continued, "I was there when April kept calling you the next few days after you broke up with her, begging you to come back to her and work it out with her. I could see you struggling with yourself, questioning yourself, and fighting the urge to take it all back. But you didn't. You did the right thing, Haruka, and you know that now."

Haruka took a moment to let Kameda's words sink in, then she smiled and said, "Thanks, Kameda."

Kameda nodded. "So anyway," he cleared his throat and sat back in the chair, resuming his more professional manner, "are you going to take Shizuma out for a run or not? I didn't spend all that time working on her for nothing."

"Actually, I was thinking of taking her out for a little long run."

"Hmm, a long run where?"

Haruka turned back to the computer and began typing. "Tokyo."

"And what's in Tokyo?" Kameda inquired further.

"The Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra."

Kameda scratched his head. Haruka was trying his patience and she knew it. "And what do you know about the Tokyo whatever Orchestra?"

Haruka finished typing, clicked the mouse a few times, then logged out. She turned to Kameda with a wide grin on her face. "I know the featuring violinist."

* * *

The last time Haruka had been to Ueno Park was in grade school when her class took a field trip to the Ueno Zoo. She must've been only 8 or 9 years old at the time, and at that age Ueno Park seemed endless. Now she could see the park wasn't as big as she remembered, but it still bustled with the delighted cries of small children. Young adults, most likely students who attended the nearby art academy, were also scattered around the park, switching their gazes between the natural scenery and their black leather-bound sketchbooks in which they scribbled in so meticulously. Beside the art academy, standing right across from Ueno Station, was Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, home of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. It was here that Haruka would find Michiru.

Haruka stood outside the front entrance, her whole body buzzing with anticipation. She was still without a jacket and the day had warmed up by only a little bit, but she didn't mind the cool air. Her body was unusually feverish. She hadn't felt that way since the first time her mother forced her onto a stage in front of a large audience to play the piano. It was a truly nervewracking experience, but the stage fright wore off when she learned to ignore all the eyes watching her and allow herself to get lost in the music produced at her fingertips. Speaking of which, she couldn't remember the last time she touched the piano. Sadly, she realized that was another part of her life that she had lost and now had to rebuild, just like Kameda said. At least there was nothing to stop her now. She had her life back.

The doors to the concert hall suddenly opened and Haruka felt her muscles ache with tension. The men and women who came out first walked past Haruka without a second glance and went straight towards the train station, except for one woman.

Michiru stared at the tall, blonde woman, her expression filled with uncertainty. She had been fooled before by close resemblances and she was not ready to be fooled again. Besides, Haruka was in Tsukuba. It would've taken her two hours to drive to Tokyo from Tsukuba. But this was Haruka, Michiru reminded herself, and knowing Haruka, she could make it in one. And knowing Haruka, she would do something like this and surprise her with a visit.

Haruka walked up to the aqua-haired woman staring at her and offered a warm smile. "Hey, stranger."

With that gesture, Michiru's doubts melted away and she smiled back, but with inner reservations. "I see not much has changed. Still like sneaking up on me, huh, Haruka."

Haruka shrugged. "You know what they say, old habits die hard."

"Does April know you're here?" she asked hesitantly.

"No, she doesn't need to know."

Michiru sighed. "Old habits really do die hard," she said as her inner voice spoke the infamous four words, I told you so.

"Well, it's 'cuz we're not together anymore," Haruka clarified. Apparently Michiru didn't know about the breakup after all.

Michiru's thoughts froze. "You're not?"

"We broke up about three months ago and I haven't talked to her or seen her since."

"Really?" Michiru tried to keep herself from sounding a little skeptical at the news. "I mean—"

"No, I know. Of all the times April and I have broken up, what makes this any different, right?" Haruka's face grew serious. "I did it this time. I broke up with her."

Michiru believed her. Haruka's whole demeanor seemed transformed. She stood tall with her shoulders back and her head held high, her piercing green eyes fearless. A new confidence exuded from her and Michiru could tell Haruka was no longer under April's control. "I'm happy for you," she said, "I really am."

"Thanks."

"But you know, you didn't have to drive out here just to talk to me."

"I know, but I wanted to. It's always better when you can talk to someone in person. Also, I've never taken Shizuma to Tokyo, so I figured why not take her on a little road trip?" Haruka said casually.

"Shizuma?" Michiru's mind immediately brought up an image of a woman of stunning beauty sitting alongside Haruka in her car just as she once did.

"Yeah, would you like to meet her?"

"Um, sure," Michiru agreed. She couldn't deny she was curious to meet this woman, but she thought it was a bit inconsiderate of Haruka to bring someone along if she meant to talk to Michiru.

Michiru followed Haruka across the street and into the Ueno Station parking lot. She could only assume that this Shizuma woman was waiting inside Haruka's car because she saw no other reason why Haruka would bring her there to introduce her. Ahead of them, just as Michiru suspected, a woman in sunglasses stepped out of a white car and started walking towards them. The woman had red hair in two long pigtails and she wore a white trench coat. More noticeable was her choker necklace, which bore a black star in the center that matched the black star on the vehicle.

Haruka stopped just short of the red-haired woman and turned to Michiru. "Michiru, this is Shizuma. Shizuma, meet Michiru," she said and directed Michiru's attention to the silver car before them. Haruka held out a small remote that was attached to her set of keys and pressed a button, making her car chirp and flash its lights. "Shizuma says it's nice to finally meet you."

Embarassment came over Michiru when she realized Shizuma was nothing more than Haruka's car and that the red-haired woman was just a random stranger who happened to be there. She chuckled quietly to herself. "It's nice to meet you, too, Shizuma," she played along, though it was obvious she felt a little silly talking to a car.

"So, can I take you out to eat or something?" Haruka offered. "Maybe we can talk over lunch."

"Sure, that would be nice."

* * *

"So basically I had to choose: let April control my life and miss out on a great opportunity or break up with April and embrace the chance of a lifetime. I chose the latter, obviously, and breaking up with April was actually easier than I thought it would be. The hard part was actually sticking to it," Haruka said before taking a sip from her soda. "I did go through a kind of grieving period and for a while I felt like I didn't know what to do with myself because I had been so used to centering my life around April. But once the big day finally arrived and I crossed that finish line in record time, I haven't given it a second thought since and the rest is history." Haruka took another long sip of her soda and let out a satisfied sigh. "So what's your story, Ms. Kaioh?"

"Hmm, where to begin?" Michiru thought out loud. The first thing that came to mind was her senshi awakening, but Michiru still wasn't ready to divulge that information to Haruka, especially not now when she just wanted to reconnect with her. "There's not much that you missed really. I've just been really focused on playing the violin, and as I'm sure you can see, I've turned out to be quite the violinist." That was her story and she was sticking to it, Michiru decided. "It wasn't long before I began receiving offers to be a part of some of the most renown orchestras in Japan before anyone else in my ensemble did. I didn't understand how at first, considering I hadn't attended any auditions, but I found out my conductor had been recording some of our rehearsals and sharing it with his colleagues. And that's how I wound up as a violinist for the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra," Michiru ended with gusto that made Haruka let out a small laugh.

"I see. What about your girlfriend?"

"My girlfriend? What girlfriend?"

"Well, the last time we spoke, you said you were seeing someone."

"Oh, her." Michiru frowned and shook her head. "Her name was Kamane. We were together for about..." Michiru thought for a second, "at least a year or a year and a half. Maybe almost two years."

"Oh, really?"

"She seemed very nice at first, and I did love her, but then it turned out she was crazy."

"What? How so?"

"She was pretty jealous and possessive. We would fight constantly." Michiru looked down at her cup of tea with eyes that grew distant, recalling the past. "One time she went and slept with another woman, but she tried to lie about it and say she was raped. I had a suspicion that wasn't the only time she cheated on me, and yet I stayed. I must have wanted things to work with her so badly that I just lost myself."

"I know what you mean," Haruka said heavily.

"Maybe that's just it though. Maybe subconsciously, I was trying to understand why you chose April over me, so I allowed myself to be in a situation similar to yours."

Haruka felt a burn in that statement. Although she had already come a long way from the mentality she was trapped in for so long, she was still susceptible to feelings of fault and failure. These feelings were residual emotions from the life she left behind, a life that unfortunately still cast a shadow over her, weighing her down. She lowered her head in shame. "Nobody should be in a situation similar to mine, especially you. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault."

"But I—"

"Look at me, Haruka." Michiru reached out and lifted Haruka's chin back up. Her soft blue eyes offered a reassurance that silenced anymore feelings of guilt that Haruka harboured in her soul. "I didn't come here to blame you for anything," Michiru said as she took Haruka's hands into her own.

Haruka said no more and they both fell silent. To feel the touch of the other's hand after what felt like a lifetime was electric. For a moment they were both transported back to that fateful hectic morning of high school when they first ran into each other. Neither of them had expected anything more after that random encounter, and yet their paths crossed again the same night and led them farther than they had ever hoped for. Now here they were again, years later after what should've been the final chapter of their lives together. This couldn't be attributed to simple coincidence. There was some kind of connection Michiru could almost feel, but she couldn't put her finger on it. It was as elusive as her visions.

"I'll take this whenever you're ready," the server said as she placed the check on the table between Haruka and Michiru.

"I'll take care of that," Haruka said, quickly releasing her hands from Michiru's to snatch the check before Michiru could reach it.

Michiru opened her mouth to protest, but decided it was no use. Haruka was never one to argue with when it came to paying the check.

Both women remained quiet even after the server had returned to pick up the check. Haruka tried to distract herself by fiddling with the ice that was now melting in her glass of diluted soda. She still didn't know for sure what Michiru was keeping from her when they were in college—she no longer thought it was a matter of the distance putting a strain on their relationship—but she wasn't going to ask. It was in the past and Haruka preferred not to dig up old graves.

Finally, Michiru said, "I'm not the same girl who was in love with you all those years ago, but I still care about you. It hurts to think of all the ways April hurt you. I believe you're in much better hands now though, so keep it that way."

Haruka smiled. "Don't worry, I will."

"Ruka."

"Yes?"

Michiru simply smiled at Haruka for a moment, wondering if saying her name still had the same effect it used to, then said, "Thank you for lunch."

"Anytime, Michi."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: At last, an update! The complete story is in my head, really. It's just not as easy getting it out of my head in the form of words. Fortunately when I do get it out in writing, it's still worthy of the smexx stamp of approval, courtesy of Vanessa Riverton. Enjoy!_

* * *

At the shrill sound of the alarm, Haruka's hand shot out at the clock and fumbled blindly in the dark with it until she found the button that silenced its cry. It was the seventh and final call to get out of bed. Haruka could never get up at the first alarm, so waking up was a process for her that started with the first alarm going off a half hour earlier than when she was supposed to get up, then at intervals of five minutes until Haruka couldn't stand the noise anymore. In this case, however, she was getting up way earlier than she should. What made matters worse was the howling wind that had kept her up most of the night. Being that her bed was next to the wall, she had felt it shaking from the sheer force of the wind.

"Damn you, Hanako," she muttered in her semiconscious state, then almost as if it was right on cue, Haruka's phone rang. "Hello?" Haruka answered in a groggy voice.

"Good morning, Haruka! Just wanted to make sure you were awake," Hanako's cheerful voice greeted her.

"I was just damning you and wishing I never helped you with your flat tire."

"Aw, you don't mean that. Besides, if you didn't help me, you wouldn't have an awesome best friend!"

"At least I'd have some awesome sleep!"

"Quit complaining and get your ass up."

"Fine. I'm on my way. You better be ready."

"I was born ready!"

It only took Haruka ten minutes to get dressed and brush her teeth before she grabbed her gym bag and headed out the door. She and Hanako carpooled occasionally for not only did Hanako just live down the street, but they worked pretty close to each other as well.

Haruka had met Hanako after she went running one day after work. Running was something she had picked back up quickly after she broke up with April. It revitalized her almost as much as racing did. About two miles from her job, Haruka came upon Hanako, who was stooped by her car poking at the rear passenger side tire with her foot. Haruka could tell from experience just by looking at it that the tire was losing air.

"Excuse me, miss, do you need help?" Haruka had asked.

"Um, I think my tire might have a hole somewhere," Hanako had replied.

"Do you have a spare?"

"No. I was hoping to just put enough air in to take me back home, but I'm afraid it'll deflate too quickly while I'm driving. I don't want to get into an accident," she said nervously.

Haruka smiled knowingly. "I work at Yamada Motors. You can drive it back to the shop and I can get it all fixed up for you in no time."

"How far is it?"

"Not far." Haruka turned and pointed in the direction she came from. "Just a couple miles down. I just ran from there." Unbeknownst to Haruka, she had just said the magic words.

"Really? You like to run? Me, too! My name is Hanako," she said and held out her hand.

Haruka shook her hand and said, "I'm Haruka. Nice to meet you."

And just like that Haruka was unwittingly snagged into a friendship with Hanako.

Haruka pulled up into the driveway and honked her horn, noting the silhouette moving frantically about behind the curtains. If Haruka didn't know any better, Hanako was probably still wrapped up in her bed when she had called her earlier, nowhere near prepared to head out like she claimed. She honked again just to make Hanako feel rushed and laughed as her friend stumbled out the door while still trying to put her shoes on. Hanako walked down the path from her house to the driveway and got into Haruka's car.

"I thought you were ready," Haruka chided.

"Oh, whatever. Let's go," said Hanako.

There were only a handful of other cars that shared the road with them, probably night-shift workers heading home or other unfortunate people who were forced to be up at such an inconvenient hour, unless of course they were as crazy as Hanako. Those people definitely existed because Haruka and Hanako weren't the only ones who ran the trail around the lake at Doho Park.

At the stop light, Haruka gazed off into the distance at the the horizon. It was an endless darkness, but Haruka knew that somewhere back there stood Mount Tsukuba. Haruka wondered if Michiru had ever been to Mount Tsukuba. One didn't have to be an artist to recognize the beauty of all its changing colors this time of year, but Haruka just knew Michiru would especially enjoy the scenery. She could imagine Michiru capturing it all in a painting.

Haruka squinted her eyes and peered closer through her windshield to see if she could at least make out the outline of the mountain's double peaks, but something else caught her attention. Something was moving in the distance, or maybe it was just the night shadows playing tricks on her eyes. No, there was really something moving, something big. One by one the stars disappeared, blocked from view by whatever was moving.

The sound of rustling wind drifted to her ears and in it she could hear indistinct whispering that suddenly made Haruka's skin turn to goosebumps. A low rumble began to rise and the steering wheel trembled in Haruka's hands, and then out of the darkness emerged a massive wave. Haruka couldn't believe her eyes. A tsunami was the first thing that came to Haruka's mind, but she thought it was too far inland for the wave to be so impossibly high like that. It must've been taller than Mount Tsukuba itself. And there was no earthquake, no warnings, nothing that could've prepared her for the catastrophe in front of her. It was like Mother Nature had gone postal and just decided to pull a sneak attack on humanity while they were blissfully sleeping. It was surging towards them, swallowing everything in its path, a gigantic wall of unstoppable, volatile force. Haruka was too terror-stricken to even blink as she watched this destruction unfolding before her eyes.

"Haruka," said Hanako. She shook Haruka's shoulder. "Haruka, the light's green."

Haruka snapped her head toward Hanako, then back to the front of the car. There was no wave, there was no destruction, there was only a glaring green light and empty road ahead.

But it had felt so real.

"You okay?" Hanako asked.

"I must've dozed off," Haruka said, shaking herself out of her daze and moving the car forward. "I was having the weirdest dream."

"You sleep with your eyes open? Maybe you're right, maybe I should let you get more sleep. What was your dream about?"

"It was about this painting Michiru had done in college. It was like it had come to life."

"Your ex, right?"

"Yeah. Oh!" Haruka's exclamation startled Hanako. "I was going to tell you, Michiru emailed me yesterday. Isn't that weird? 'Cuz weren't we just talking about our exes the other day? I was completely surprised, but I ended up going to Tokyo to meet up with her and catch up."

"What?" Hanako was astounded. "So that's where you were yesterday. I see how it is. I'm being replaced by another woman!"

"Oh, please, like you haven't been seeing other men!"

Laughter burst out between the two women. They had shared this running gag on many occasions due to the frequent misconception that they were a couple.

"Seriously though, what happened? Tell me!" Hanako implored.

Haruka recounted the events of the previous day to Hanako as they continued driving along and when she was done, Hanako was grinning deviously.

"What?" Haruka asked, a little disturbed by the expression on her friend's face.

"She still loves you, and I mean _loves_ you."

"How do you know?"

"She said she still cares about you."

"So?"

Hanako rolled her eyes. "Haruka, that's girl-speak for 'I love you, but I don't wanna say it.' How much you wanna bet she wants to get back with you?"

Haruka knew it wasn't the fact that Michiru said she stilled cared about her, it was the way she said Haruka's name at the end of their meeting. When Haruka and Michiru used to sneak around behind April's back, that was how they would say those three words without actually saying it. Haruka only neglected to tell Hanako this detail because it was a very private code that only she and Michiru understood. If Michiru really loved her uninhibitedly, she wouldn't have to use that code.

"She doesn't want to get back with me."

"How much you wanna bet?"

"I'm not betting anything."

"Oh, come on! How about this? If I win, you have to go rock climbing with me."

Haruka gave Hanako a doubtful look. The last time Hanako dragged Haruka to go climbing with her, Haruka's arms were so sore that she could barely move them, and it wasn't even from the climbing part. Hanako was in fact afraid of heights, so although her determination to conquer her fear by climbing was admirable, it was painfully slow on Haruka's end because she was the one belaying her.

"Please?" Hanako begged.

"Fine. And if I win, you'll let me sleep in the mornings."

"Fine, fine. Deal." Hanako held out her hand.

Haruka took her hand. "Deal."

* * *

Once again Michiru stood under a grim, crimson sky, witnessing the end of the world, and once again the mysterious woman appeared in Michiru's dream. This time she could see the woman's features more clearly. Her long dark green hair flowed behind her sailor fuku of black and red down to her knees, and in her hands was a key-shaped staff topped with a orb that matched the color of her garnet eyes. Her dark complexion only made her appearance all the more sinister, and when she spoke, her voice was cold and lacked any emotion.

"The silence is approaching," she said and gazed beyond Michiru.

Michiru turned around and saw the dark force had drawn precariously near. Fault lines stretched towards Michiru and she jumped back, barely escaping a fissure.

"You must find the Messiah."

"Me and who else? Who is the other person?"

The woman held out her rod again and a whirlwind manifested around her.

"No! Wait!" Michiru ran after her, fighting against the blast of air before the woman could disappear again.

Suddenly, in a flash of light, Michiru found herself running along a beach. The sun was shining strongly, warming the white sand beneath Michiru's bare feet. Stopping, she looked down and saw she was dressed in normal clothes again. Uncertain if this was still a dream, she continued walking until finally she reached the long shore, lined with trees undulating slowly, bringing movement to the dunes that faced the sea. In front of her the huge, placid blue sea blended with the sky at the farthest edge of her vision. It was quiet there, and then the fresh breeze of the sea stirred and she felt the invisible hands of the wind caressing her skin, making her feel alive. She closed her eyes and let herself unravel in the tranquil setting that contrasted drastically with her visions of ruin.

"Follow the wind," the dark woman's voice echoed around her, "and you will find your destined partner. Until then, you'll be safe here."

Michiru opened her eyes and met the empty, blank space that was her ceiling, the remnants of her dream quickly fading away. The warmth that she had felt was gone and in its stead was the icy chill of the morning. She pondered over the recent events of her dream and came to the conclusion that the universe just liked to do things the hard way. It seemed anything worth having was never easy to attain.

Michiru turned to her side and her eyes fell upon her cell phone sitting on her nightstand. Now there was something that would brighten her mood. She reached for it and went through her contact list till she found the name she was looking for. Haruka's smiling face appeared on the phone screen when Michiru selected her name and Michiru smiled back. Yesterday really did happen. She relived it in her mind and felt a familiar quivering feeling in the pit of her stomach. Only Haruka could evoke that feeling inside her, only Haruka could still touch her heart, but Michiru couldn't submit herself to these feelings again. A little morning text message wouldn't hurt though. She recalled Haruka mentioning she would be up early to go running with her best friend, so she tapped the keys on her phone to compose a message then sent it. She placed her phone back on the nightstand and got up to begin her morning ritual when a small giggle escaped her. For a moment she felt like she was back in college, sending messages of sweet nothings to her lover. Ah, but those days were gone and she couldn't let anything come between her and her mission now.

* * *

"Hold on, I need to slow down," called out Hanako, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath.

Haruka slowed her pace and waited for Hanako to catch up to her.

"How come you're never out of breath?" Hanako asked, placing her hand on Haruka's shoulder and leaning for support.

"It's called stamina."

"You're hardly even sweating!" Hanako said comparing the dark stains on her sweatshirt to Haruka's unmarked sweatshirt.

"It's cold, Hana."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Come on, we're almost done with this lap. Just a little bit farther and we'll be back at the car. We can race for it." Haruka started jogging in place.

Hanako groaned.

"Let's go, Hana!"

"Fine!" Hanako said and burst into a sprint towards the end of the path.

"Hey! Cheater!" Haruka cried and sprinted after her, pumping her arms and legs effortlessly. It seemed her feet hardly struck the pavement as she flew down the path. Within seconds she was side-by-side with Hanako, and then she was running past her. She gained enough distance to slow down and turn around to taunt her competition, jogging backwards while Hanako still ran at full speed to catch up.

"You suck, Haruka!"

Haruka smiled triumphantly and continued on to the car. She knew Hanako's competitive spirit couldn't refuse a race.

Winded, Hanako finally reached Haruka by the car and collapsed onto a nearby bench to catch her breath. Dawn was beginning to break and the darkness had lifted from the sky. On the lake were a few ducks that had yet to migrate to warmer climate for the winter. They glided across the glassy surface, dunking their heads now and then. Haruka went over to the water's edge, crumbling up the remains of the granola bar she was eating onto the water, and the ducks scurried over like scavengers. She walked back to the car, took her gym bag, and sat next to Hanako, tossing her a water bottle and helping herself to one as well.

"I hate the cold," Hanako grumbled after she had downed nearly half the bottle.

"It was your idea to run outdoors."

"I know."

"And didn't you hear the wind last night? I thought it was going to tear the roof right off."

"What wind? I didn't hear any wind."

"What? How could you not hear it?"

Hanako shrugged and gulped down more of her water.

Haruka thought for a moment, wondering if the wind she had heard last night was just a dream. But she was certain it wasn't. She could clearly see herself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and unable to fall back to sleep, listening to the wind bellowing outside. She had tossed and turned so much that she was tangled in her sheets by the time she finally slipped back into slumber. And then there was that strange vision—no, it was just a dream—that she had earlier while driving. She swore that felt real, but it couldn't have been. Maybe she was mistaken about last night's wind then. Still, it didn't make any sense.

Haruka's cell phone suddenly sang a short, quirky alert from within her gym bag.

"What's that? You got a text?" Hanako asked as she watched Haruka dig into her bag to retrieve her phone. When she saw the smile spread across Haruka's face after reading the message, she poked Haruka's cheek and asked, "Hmm, and who could possibly be texting you at such an early hour? Could it be Michiru?"

"What? I told her my best friend deprives me of sleep in the morning."

Hanako made a face.

Haruka let out a small laugh. "She said she just woke up and just wanted to say good morning. That's all."

Hanako reached out and assaulted Haruka's cheeks again with pinches. "Aw, you're so cute!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Haruka brushed Hanako's hands away from her and leaned out of her reach, massaging her cheeks. Hanako may only be five years senior to her, but sometimes she treated Haruka like she was a little kid.

"I want to meet her. You should invite her to the race."

"I did. And I told her she's welcome to stay at my place for the weekend."

"Don't you think that's moving a little too fast?"

"Geez, we're just friends, Hanako." Haruka stood up from the bench and began stretching. "Is there anything wrong with that?" her voice strained as she bent down and reached for her toes.

"No, I suppose not."

After that Hanako said nothing more and joined Haruka in stretching as the sun climbed above the trees. They left Doho Park a short while later and Haruka dropped Hanako off at her job before proceeding to Yamada Motors. For the rest of the day, she spent every spare minute she had on her phone. It was the first time Kameda had ever seen Haruka act so giddy.

* * *

Since the night the mysterious senshi teleported Michiru to the beach, there had been no monster attacks, no dreams of the end of the world. She was rather grateful for that, but now the night had become the space that was somewhere in between what she felt and what she was told. Every night she sat on the shoreline trying to figure out how following the wind would help her find her so-called destined partner, especially when the wind was such an elusive, invisible force, and at the same time her thoughts kept turning to Haruka, the feelings inside her becoming harder and harder to bear. She and Haruka spent hours talking to each other everyday now, just like old times. It was the one part of her day that she looked forward to, so much that her day felt incomplete until she heard from Haruka.

Michiru hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on top. It was nighttime on the beach and the full moon provided the only illumination, its reflected light shimmering across the calm water. The water crept up to Michiru's toes as the tide washed in, startling her a bit with its tepid touch. She watched as the water quickly receded back into the sea, only to come rushing up again to her feet in small, minute waves. Sometimes the waves would wash over her bare feet, sometimes it would barely reach her, as no two waves were ever alike. It reminded Michiru of the thing she loved most about the ocean, which was you never stepped into the same ocean twice. The waves kept the water always changing, always flowing. Michiru stood up and waded into the water just above her ankles. As she continued staring towards the horizon, her contemplative silence was broken by a voice in the dark.

"Michiru?"

It came from far away, in some adjacent universe. Michiru swiftly turned around and saw the beach grow hazy, slowly morphing into the familiar four walls of her room. By the time she struggled back to consciousness she realized the voice was coming from her answering machine.

"Michiru, I just touched down. It's about a quarter after two," Haruka's voice spoke through the answering machine as it recorded.

Michiru scrambled to her nightstand and swept up the phone from its cradle. "Haruka?"

"Oh, hey. Sorry, I know it's late."

"No, it's fine."

"But you should be sleeping."

"I'll sleep better now knowing you're home safe. How was happy hour? Or should I say hours?"

"It was great. Kameda got so wasted, I don't think he'll remember any of the things that happened tonight. He's gonna wake up and find all these numbers in his pockets and he won't know who they belong to. He probably won't even remember it was his damn birthday."

"And what about your pockets?" Michiru asked, but not really interested to know the answer, a touch of jealousy tugging from within.

"My pockets have only my wallet and my car keys."

Michiru chuckled, partly relieved. "Well, I'm glad you had fun."

"Yeah, but, um, listen, I was just wondering," Haruka paused for a moment, "I've been wondering, can I come over?"

"Of course, I don't have anything planned later today."

"I mean, can I stop by to see you tonight? Right now?"

Michiru sat up, suddenly concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no. I just wanna see you. I miss you, Michi, and I just wanna be with you."

The words shocked Michiru, but she thought they fell too easily out of Haruka's mouth. "Haruka, are you drunk?"

"Yes. No," she quickly changed her answer. "Maybe a little."

"Then you're especially in no position to be driving."

"What's the deal? You're not that far. I'm headed to the car right now."

"Haruka–"

"Say yes or no 'cuz I'm on the road."

Michiru could hear Haruka's car engine come to life. "I just don't think–"

"Oh, shit. Hold on, my battery is low. Let me–"

"Just please drive carefully, Haruka."

"Alright. I'll see you soon."

The phone line went silent and Michiru prayed with all her soul that nothing would happen to Haruka on the way here. Haruka was undoubtedly an exceptional driver, but that did not make her immune to the effects of alcohol.

Every second felt like an hour and every minute felt like a year as Michiru waited for Haruka to arrive. She knew watching the clock was only going to make time move slower, but she couldn't distract herself with anything else. She sat in her living room by the window facing the street, her book lay open on her lap to a page she must've read at least ten times already, but she still didn't know what she just read. She turned her attention to the window, where outside on the street below, another set of headlights grew brighter as it approached. She held her breath, only to watch the car disappear into the distance. The second hand on the clock completed another rotation and Michiru sighed. If only a second really was an hour, Haruka might be there by now.

Michiru closed her book and put it aside. Her concern for Haruka's safety was only part of her anxiety. The other part was about what Haruka said on the phone. She said she missed her and wanted to be with her. People can say a lot of things under the influence of alcohol. Sometimes it's the truth, sometimes it's things they don't mean. Michiru feared the latter. What started as a simple premise of gaining closure had now become much more complicated and she was back where she started, waiting for Haruka.

"In more ways than one," she thought aloud and cast an indignant stare at the clock. It seemed as if time was never on her side.

She immediately took back that last thought when three light knocks came from her door. With the gracefulness of a gazelle, Michiru sprang from her couch towards the door, which suddenly felt as far away as the other side of the world. It was funny how both space and time conspired against her. Upon finally reaching the door, Michiru unlocked the deadbolt. She eagerly pulled the door open and was met with an abrupt tug that stopped the door from going any further.

On the other side of the door, Haruka laughed. "I think you forgot something."

The only thing standing between Michiru and Haruka now was the small door chain that held on tightly for dear life as the last measurement of security against unwanted visitors. Haruka, of course, was anything but an unwanted visitor. Michiru laughed at her own forgetfulness and closed the door again to give the door chain enough slack to be removed. Now free from any other constraint, the door swung open with ease.

Before her, Haruka stood in an untucked shirt with sleeves that had been rolled up to the elbows and a tie hanging loosely around her unbuttoned collar. Her jeans showed faded grease stains and Michiru could only guess that the only thing Haruka had changed between work and the bar was her top. The grungy look had a bit of a charm to it though. It definitely suited Haruka.

"Come in," Michiru said, stepping to the side to allow Haruka inside her apartment.

Haruka walked in and took in the surroundings. It was the first time she had set foot inside Michiru's apartment. Just as she expected, paintings decorated the walls, some of which were Michiru's original artwork and Haruka's personal favorites.

"Nice place."

"Thanks. Can I get you anything?" Michiru asked as she led Haruka to the living room.

"Water would be good, please."

"Make yourself at home," said Michiru and went into her kitchen to fetch a glass of water for Haruka. When she came back to the living room, she handed the glass to Haruka, who was sitting on the couch in the same exact spot Michiru had been only moments before. Michiru sat beside her.

Haruka drank all the water then set the glass aside on the table. "I've been fortunate not to have experienced a hangover yet, and I don't intend to start."

"You were fortunate not to have gotten into an accident is more like it. You don't know how worried I was."

Haruka gazed at Michiru and smiled. "You don't know how lovely you are."

"Haruka, I'm serious."

"And I'm serious. I meant what I said earlier." Haruka was about to say more, but she stopped herself.

Michiru watched as Haruka's eyes darted around the room. This was what Haruka did when there was something she wanted to say, but either wasn't sure how to say it or was hesitant to say it at all. The first option usually went hand in hand with the second. She could almost see the battle waging on in Haruka's mind through her eyes. To say it, or not to say it. Speak now, or hold your peace. Michiru wasn't sure herself if she wanted to know what Haruka had in mind, but she realized she shouldn't have let Haruka drive over, especially in her current condition. If Haruka had something to tell her, she didn't want the alcohol to do any of the talking for Haruka. Too late now.

"What are you thinking?" Michiru finally asked.

Haruka took one long look into Michiru's eyes, then said, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

The temperature in the apartment suddenly felt warmer, but Michiru knew it was just her. "What do you mean?"

"I waited for you. I felt like such a fool sitting at the Gallery all by myself after everyone had already left."

Michiru understood. Haruka was talking about the day of Michiru's art exhibit. "I wasn't at the hospital with Natsuko," she confessed.

"I know."

"You know?"

Haruka's eyes circled once around the room before settling back on Michiru. "And you know what? I don't even want to know where you were. It doesn't matter anymore. But if you wanted to see someone else because the distance was too much, I wouldn't blame you. I mean, hell, look what the distance did to me!" Haruka said fiercely.

Michiru stared at Haruka with wide eyes. It was all she could do. She didn't know how else to react to such an unexpected outburst. This didn't seem to be going well at all.

Haruka bent over and covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry, I wasn't going to bring that up." Her voice was calm again. When she lifted her head back up Michiru saw that Haruka's face had gone pale.

"Haruka, are you okay?"

"No. Oh man, the room won't stop spinning." Haruka grasped her stomach. "Michiru, where's your bathroom?"

Immediately Michiru rushed to Haruka's side as she tried to stand up. Haruka's body started to heave in an attempt to eject the contents within. She quickly led Haruka to the bathroom and lifted the toilet seat just as Haruka knelt before it and began retching. The sound was sickening, but Michiru was not phased. There were several nights when she stood by her college roommate, Natsuko, holding her hair back as she vomited her night's worth of drinking into the porcelain throne just as Haruka was doing now.

Once Haruka's body was done purging itself, Haruka lifted a shaky hand up to the handle and flushed the toilet. "I'm so sorry," she groaned.

"Don't worry about it. Feel better, though?"

"Much better."

Michiru helped Haruka back up to her feet. "Here," she said as she opened up the medicine cabinet and pulled out a spare toothbrush.

"Thanks."

"I'll be right back." Michiru left Haruka in the bathroom and walked into her room. Inside her closet, she pulled out a chest that contained some clothes. She searched through them till she found what she was looking for close to the bottom of the chest.

Back in the bathroom, Haruka just finished washing out her mouth. She looked up at the mirror to see Michiru standing behind her, holding a set of clothes that she hadn't seen in years. "Are those my clothes?"

A slight blush rose on Michiru's cheeks. "I always thought you might want them back someday."

"Oh," said Haruka, taking the clothes from Michiru. It was a pair of fleece shorts and a faded green shirt with the Mugen Gakuen emblem on the front. The back of the shirt had TENOH printed on it above the number 10—her old track practice shirt.

"In any case, you're not going anywhere else tonight. You're sleeping here, so go ahead and change. I'll get you a pillow and blanket for the couch." Michiru left Haruka again and went over to the linen closet. She brought a spare pillow and blanket to the living room, placing them on the couch after removing the extra throw pillows.

"Haruka?"said Michiru, returning to the bathroom and poking her head in to check on her. Haruka had changed into her shorts, but when Michiru saw she was still fumbling with her tie, she stepped back out.

Michiru stood in the hallway with her back to the bathroom, suddenly nervous about the situation. All this time, she thought she was waiting for Haruka, but maybe it was Haruka that had been waiting for her all along. She was the one that had lied to Haruka, deceived her, let her go. There may not be a future for her and Haruka, not with her destiny as a senshi, but at the moment, she decided by God she was not going to live the rest of her life wondering what could've happened, what she should've done, or what would've happened. This was her chance to do something. No more regrets. Everything happens for a reason.

She spun back around and was startled to find Haruka standing behind her, still only half-changed.

"Michi," Haruka said softly.

Michiru said nothing. Instead she reached out for Haruka's tie, pulled her in, and pressed her lips on Haruka's in one swift motion. There was no resistance, only the familiar feeling of arms reaching around her waist and soft hands caressing the small of her back.

That night, the pillow and blanket that Michiru had left on the couch remained untouched.


End file.
